Journey to the Cross - Lingering Fragrance

Each October I am “smiled upon” when I put away all body sprays, fragrant detergents, and scented candles.  The resident deer hunters care not to take any of the smells into the woods!  Furthermore, Mr. Bill bathes in special soap to remove all human scent.  Women do all they can to smell like sweetness and men work hard to smell like nothing.  What strangeness!

Six days before the Passover as He traveled from Jericho to Jerusalem, Jesus arrives in Bethany, home of some of His dearest friends.  Two miles from Jerusalem and situated on the south-eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, this small village is often referred to as Jesus’ Judean home.  During the evening meal, something quite astonishing happened: “While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head.” (Mark 14:3)  The extravagance of this act could easily be seen by the value of the perfume (approximately one year’s wages for the average worker), but that would not be the case.  Jesus quickly defends the woman’s act of reckless love for The One Who will in a few days be completely poured out of Himself for others.  “Let her alone … ,” Jesus says, as the rare and costly perfume streams over The Messiah’s head that will be viciously crowned with thorns, His back that will bear cruel stripes, His shoulders that will carry a heavy cross, His hands and feet to be pinned to timber by nails.  “She has done a good and beautiful thing to Me [praiseworthy and noble],” Jesus concludes. (V.6)  The woman saw something we often miss – God’s Anointed should be our Anointed!  We should be willing to pour out the ointment of our best affections on Christ.  Just as the fragrance of that rare and costly perfume filled the room, hearts in love with The Savior will produce a strong and lingering fragrance of Christ everywhere we go and there is NOTHING strange about THAT!